Gaming company Xbox claims Sony’s video game strategy is "outdated" or "unsuitable."
Microsoft-owned gaming company said that the idea of a video game being locked to a single storefront has "become antiquated for most people" as it continues its aggressive expansion strategy for Xbox games.
The gaming company claims that Xbox has spent the past few years bringing its games to other platforms, a strategy that would've "once seemed unthinkable to those of us who remember when the quality of its exclusive games judged a console".
As per Xbox's president, Sarah Bond, the idea of exclusives is looking downright "antiquated" as the biggest games in the world are increasingly seeking platforms in their own right.
Sarah mentioned that Xbox Game Studios publishes games on platforms beyond Xbox, such as PlayStation 5, and that it has become one of the most prolific and successful publishers on PlayStation.
As reported byIGN,thereason for this stark contrast is that gaming companies like Nintendo and Sony still refuse to release their big single-player games on any platform other than their own.
During an interview with Mashable, the company representative cited the popularity and demand for games like Fortnite, Roblox, and Minecraft as evidence that the majority of gamers had moved on from exclusives.
“We're really seeing people evolve way past that, the biggest games in the world are available everywhere,” said Sarah.
“You look at Call of Duty, you look at Minecraft, you look at Fortnite, you look at Roblox, that's actually what's really driving the gaming community," Sarah added.
Sarah believes that the biggest games globally should be "accessible to anyone, anywhere."
She further emphasized that gaming is a community where people gather, build connections, andshare experiences. Hence, the idea of locking it to one store is just ‘unsuitable’, as gamers want to play with their friends or acquaintances anywhere, regardless of the medium.
Moreover, the company also claims that Microsoft's new 'Rog Xbox Ally' has already left PS ‘console exclusivity’ behind in recent years.
“The next-gen console will be a very premium and high-end curated experience. You're starting to see some of the thinking we have in this handheld, but I don't want to give it all away,” said Sarah.
Furthermore, Microsoft’s stance on exclusives has become one of the most significant talking points in the Xbox community. That conversation is ramping up again as the company begins to discuss its next-gen Xbox in vague terms.